Disclaimer: I lay no claim to any of the characters other than Tess – the rest belong to the Wachowski brothers, god bless 'em.

A/N: My first Matrix fan fiction. Please be kind. R/R PLEASE!!!

Fourth and final chapter!  I hope everyone enjoys this one.  I was pleased with the way this chapter turned out – made all the rest seem worthwhile.  (Yes, I know it's sad.)  I'm currently working on the prequel.  I decided I really liked Tess and wanted to write about her unplugging more in depth and why Trinity felt it was so important to get her out.  Look for it soon!     

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We tiptoe upstairs without being noticed.  As we step into the small room that we share on the 17th residential level, I instinctively reach for the light switch just inside the door.  Soren gently grabs my hand. 

"Leave it off," he instructs. 

He leads me in the dark through the entry alcove back to the bedroom.  It's even darker back here, so neither of us realizes when we've reached the bed.  He backs me right onto it, and I fall on my back with my lover on top of me.  We both stifle a giggle as he places soft, warm kisses on the cool skin of my neck and weaves his hands through my long curly hair, his fingers softly circling the plug at the base of my skull.

I want to reciprocate his affection, but I'm so nervous all I can do is passively lie still, allowing his kisses to grow more intense, his breathing to deepen, and his desire to become more obvious.  Soren slides his hands from the tangle of my hair, down the sides of my face and over the curves of my neck until they come to rest on my shoulders, which are now covered with gooseflesh.  He hooks his thumbs under the straps of my dress and begins to slowly pull them over my shoulders, past the plugs on my upper arms, when I realize I just can't take it anymore.  I have to tell him now.

"Soren, I have something to tell you.  We need to talk."

He abruptly removes his lips and tongue from my throat to look at me, but his hands remain around my arms, entwined in my dress straps.  He looks into my eyes as I take a deep breath to summon my courage to let him in on my secret, but I'm interrupted before I can begin.

"Can it wait?" he asks breathlessly, his dark eyes still fixed on mine.  "I'd really like to make love to the mother of my child." 

My breath catches in my throat.  What did he just say?  He knows?

"You know?"

"Yes Tess, I know." He smiles.  Smiles!

"But how?" I manage to stammer defensively.

"Well Angel," he begins, untangling his right hand from my dress strap to stroke my furrowed brow gently with his thumb. "Zion's a small city."  He continues to grin.

"But no one knew!  I just found out for sure myself!"

I try to push him off me, but he grabs my wrists above my head and holds me down, a prisoner to his gaze. 

"Dex told me.  It was an accident, Tess.  He thought I already knew.  Don't be upset with him.  It wasn't his fault."

Dex is my shift partner at the clinic.  He gave me the pregnancy test and confirmed the results.  He's the only other person who knows.  Tomorrow I will kill him.

My rage dissipates somewhat, though, when I realize that Soren hasn't stopped smiling since we came upstairs.  Is he really OK with this?  We are talking about the same thing, aren't we?  I have to make sure. 

"Soren, I'm pregnant.  You understand that, right?" I ask cautiously.  "In seven months, we're going to have a child.  Here on Zion.  That doesn't worry you?"

Soren looks down at me as if I've just sprouted horns.  He releases his grasp on my wrists and places his hands on either side of my face, steadying my gaze upon his.

"You are amazing, you know that?  Have you really been worried that I would be upset?  Is this why you haven't slept the last few nights?"

I sheepishly nod in agreement.  "We've never talked about children – I didn't know how you would feel.  And the timing…"

Soren collapses fully on me in exasperation for a moment, then slides up and props himself up sideways onto his left elbow.  He puts his right hand on my stomach before I have a chance to roll away and begins to gently rub just above the womb.

"Look at me Tess", he commands.

I open my eyes and meet his.

"You don't think I've thought about having a child with you?" he asks.

"I had no idea," I honestly admitted.

"Well I have, I think about it often.  Why do you think I turned down the job on the Neb?  I was even thinking about it back then."

I'm amazed. Completely amazed. That was over two years ago.  Back then, I was still questioning his feelings for me.  Never in a million years would I have dreamed he was thinking about our children.

"As for the timing, Morpheus is an old friend of mine and I trust him. And I've seen what Neo can do.  I think that we can end this war Tess, and soon.  I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help make it happen.  Just think, by the time our baby is born, we could all be free."

"I want that too – more than anything," I begin, "But…"

"No buts.  That's an order," Soren commands lovingly.  "Don't forget I outrank you."

I allow myself a tiny smile at his joke. He leans further into me and our lips meet for a slow, deep kiss. I relax into him and permit myself enjoy my lover's embrace. I finally let him remove my dress and I waste no time divesting of his clothing as well. Our lovemaking feels somehow different tonight. It's always been amazing, but this time feels more special – more complete.

 As we lie in post coital comfort, just about to drift off to sleep, Soren leans over and gently places a soft kiss on my bare stomach.

"I love you, Tess", he whispers in my ear as he sits back up to cradle me in his arms.

I fall asleep more content than I've ever been, believing, at long last, that everything will be just fine.